Duck Keeping for Beginners

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I have enjoyed owning ducks. My experience with ducks was extremely limited growing up. I had one neighbor who kept them, but they weren’t very friendly and he kept them locked in a horse stall their entire lives. They were not an animal I ever really desired to keep. Then, several of my local homesteading friends started getting ducks. If you don’t already know this, homesteading friends are enablers. They will not only convince you that another animal is a good idea, but that it’s easy. Having a young son who loves animals doesn’t help either.

So when we saw ducklings at the feed store, I caved and got two. Two is an easily managed number, right? Ever hear of chicken math? The same apparently applies to ducks. A friend was selling Saxony mix ducklings and Hubby thought they were pretty. We got four. Another friend decided ducks weren’t for her, so we bought her two. Another trip to the feed store, and we got two more. Within the course of a few short weeks, we suddenly had 10 ducks. And a few weeks after that, they were too big for the brooder. Turns out, Pekin ducks grow very rapidly.

We had to learn very quickly the best ways to house, feed and care for our ducks. Like most things, it was largely a matter of trial and error. It’s been almost 2 years since we got our ducklings, and I couldn’t imagine our little farm without them. They require certain allowances, but they have turned out to be extremely easy animals to keep. I’ve even met some farmers who have given up their chickens in favor of ducks. So, if you’re considering keeping ducks, here are some basic considerations I feel all new duck owners should know.

Why Keep Ducks?

Ducks are extremely personable. I never anticipated how much I would get attached to my ducks. Their deaths affect me much more than my chickens. Maybe it’s because they seem so much more intelligent. Ducks are known for being very trainable. I cannot get mine to put themselves up in their coop at night like the chickens, but they will all be around their house, waiting for us. We shine a flashlight into their house, and they walk right in.

Ducks are great foragers and help control mosquito populations. We don’t have a lot of standing water on the property, but we have a lot of foliage where mosquitoes like to breed. Because we live in the woods, the plants and ground under the tree canopy take a very long time to dry, which creates an ideal environment for mosquitoes. Our ducks free range all day and dig through the grass and mud, eating the mosquito larvae. They have not eradicated our mosquito population, but we have noticed a blessed decrease in the little blood suckers.

Ducks are more disease resistant than chickens. I love my chickens, but they get sick a lot. I feel like I am always doctoring sick chickens. If it rains too much, they get sick. If it’s too cold, they get sick. If you look at them funny, they get sick. You get the idea. Yet, in 2 years of keeping ducks, I’ve never had one get sick. I’ve had vitamin deficiencies and injuries, but never an illness that required medication. Which is amazing because they aren’t exactly the cleanest birds on the planet.

Part of my reason for raising Pekins was for meat. They are excellent meat birds and ready to butcher at 8-10 weeks. They are also very efficient to feed up to that age. They do become little pigs after that, but getting them to market weight is very economical. Butchering them is a little more emotional for me than when I do the chickens, but we’re getting better at it. They are a little different to process than a chicken, but the meat is excellent. If you’ve never had duck, it’s more like roast beef than chicken. I realize a lot of people complain about the meat being greasy, but I’ve really found it’s in how it’s cooked. My favorite way to eat duck is a nicely seared duck breast, but roast duck is also tasty and versatile. It’s all in how you cook it. My favorite method is this duck roasting tutorial from The Hungry Mouse. It’s a lengthy process, but it ensures the fat melts off of the duck, leaving succulent, flavorful meat. It’s also a great way to render duck fat, which is fabulous for roasting potatoes or sauteing vegetables.

I did not expect my meat ducks to be such great layers. I’m sure some of the other breeds that have been bred specifically for egg production lay slightly more, but I have more than enough jumbo duck eggs from my Pekins and Saxonies to satisfy my needs. Both have proven themselves as excellent duel purpose breeds. In fact, my ducks are usually the only birds laying in the summer and winter when my chickens take a break. The only downside is that my ducks do not live in a coop and the local crow population has decided that they also enjoy duck eggs. When it comes to eating duck eggs, we have been pleasantly surprised. Hubby actually prefers the flavor of duck eggs over chicken eggs. They make a really nice over medium fried eggs and are great for baking. They have a higher moisture content than a chicken egg, which means fluffier baked goods. They also have a higher protein content than chicken eggs. They do have a higher cholesterol content, but I’ll let you decide if that’s a bad thing or not. Personally, it doesn’t bother me because the cholesterol in eggs is associate with HDL (good) cholesterol, which lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Domestic Ducks are NOT Good Swimmers

While wild ducks are known for their swimming abilities, their domestic cousins are not. Yes, they can swim; however, they are heavier and not as agile as wild ducks, which puts them at a disadvantage to predators in the water. Many domestic duck breeds are flightless, which also puts them at a disadvantage to predators. Care should be taken if you live near a body of water to protect your ducks from predators in and near the water. Here in Florida, our most common problems around water are alligators and raccoons. If you have alligators in your water, I recommend fencing the ducks off from the water since there really is no way to protect them. Raccoons typically only present a threat at night, so ensuring your ducks are locked up at night is crucial.

Ducklings can actually drown very easily when they are first hatched. Again, they are not wild ducklings and are not born with the same waterproofing and endurance as wild ducklings. Their down can become waterlogged and actually pull them under the water. They can also tire quickly and stop paddling, which will cause them to sink. Ducklings should not be allowed in water deeper than they can stand up in. Short, supervised swim time in the bathtub or sink is ok. I typically give my ducklings a dog bowl of water in their brooder so they can play.

Ducklings and Niacin

Niacin is a very important nutrient for all ducks, but especially ducklings. Niacin deficiency can result in lethargic behavior, trouble walking and even death. Adult ducks can usually fill their nutritional needs by foraging, but ducklings living in a brooder do not have those green leaves and bugs available to them. If you can find a food specifically designed for ducks, it should have the proper amount of niacin in it. I’ve found that many feed store employees are not even aware that ducklings have different nutritional needs than chicks and often recommend chick starter for both. If chick starter is all that is available to you, then you’ll need to add a niacin supplement to their diets. I add brewer’s yeast because it’s a great source of B vitamins (including niacin) and is cheap and easy to acquire. I just sprinkle a little bit over their food every day.

Ducks Cannot Climb

Ducks are not designed for climbing, this means housing, food, and water need to be kept low to the ground. If ramps are necessary, make sure it’s a very gradual slope with lots of traction so their webbed feet don’t slip. For housing, we’ve found that a coop just a few inches off the ground works best. They also need a pool with short sides. We’ve found that a plastic kiddie pool works very well. We tried using a low Rubbermaid water trough because it’s only a couple inches taller than the kiddie pool, but they wouldn’t use it. For food, we use dog dishes.

Ducks Need Water

You’d think that it would be a given that ducks need water, but I never realized just how much. First of all, your typical chicken waterers will not work. They need a water source deep enough to dip their whole heads in. Ducks use the water to clean their eyes, nostrils and bills. Ducks can develop eye infections without the ability to wash debris out of their eyes. It also helps them eat. You’ve never seen messy until you’ve watched a duck take a bite of food, dunk their bill full of food in water, then go back for another bite. As a result, they go through a lot of water. However, without it, ducks can become dehydrated and dehydration can look a lot like vitamin deficiency. Their water can get very dirty very quickly, so it will need dumped and replaced at least once a day.

Ducks are Messy

Ducks do not do well in small spaces. Besides needing plenty of space to properly forage, they can easily turn a small pen into a mud pit. They do a lot of splashing when swimming, so don’t be surprised if half of the water from the pool ends up on the ground around it. Their poop is also very watery, which adds to the ground saturation. Bedding may only be a short term solution. Mulch, straw and shavings will actually prevent the ground from drying out and can make for a very smelly mess. If used, bedding would need to be raked up and replaced regularly.

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Of course, free ranging solves most of the issues with small spaces, but it isn’t completely problem free. Ducks have hard bumps on their bills that allow them to dig in the mud for bugs. If they find a wet or muddy spot that they like, a flock of ducks can create quite a mud hole. The only thing ducks like more than water is mud. Another reason why they need a pool, ducks can get very muddy.

Ducks can be a really enjoyable addition to the homestead. Their needs are fairly simple and the rewards are numerous. They are friendly pets, economical eaters and many breeds can be used for both eggs and meat. They are also beautiful and relatively free of disease. So, next time you see a few cute, fuzzy ducklings available for sale, consider adding a few to your backyard flock. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get attached.

Bonnie was raised in a small farming village in central Ohio where she was active in 4-H and FFA. She grew up surrounded by a large family who taught her how to can, garden and cook from scratch. Now living in Florida and raising two outrageous kids, Bonnie is running the family farm where they raise chickens, ducks, goats, pigs and horses. She also enjoys teaching her kids how to live off of the land, appreciate God’s creation, and live a simpler life.

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20 Comments

Victoria Pope
on April 23, 2015 at 5:03 pm

I saw your website through pinterest and we have bought 2 baby ducks abut a month ago now and I am looking for tips foe a outside pen. I have the pen and the house already taken care of but I’m wondering what to put down on the ground inside the pen they will not be free range too many predators and we both work all day. I have heard that you cAN use sand but will that get too muddy? and aslo you say that shaving are not a good choice but thats what ppl recommend any tips?

I apologize for not replying sooner. We use mulch in our pens and it works great. If they have a large enough pen, you shouldn’t have too many issues with mud. We also can’t free range our ducks because of predators. Well, that and because our Great Pyrenees likes to play tag with the birds.

1) Ducks are very well insulated, so they can actually over-winter pretty well. Give them access to draft-free shelter with dry bedding. Keep any pools and waterers outside so they don’t soak their bedding. Make sure the bedding stays dry and clean. Some people do the deep-litter method in the winter, but make sure you add fresh and turn it frequently because duck poo is so watery.

2) If you’re only looking for egg production, you probably want to consider a light or medium weight breed. Cayugas, Swedish, Buffs and Campbells are especially known for egg production. Cayugas lay an almost black colored egg. Heavy breeds are also good egg layers as well as being good meat birds, but they eat more so aren’t as efficient if you’re just looking for an egg laying breed.

3) Unfortunately, yes. The best option is to give them plenty of space so they don’t make their runs and housing a muddy mess.

I am in Alabama. I have 8, yes eight, 4 week old Khaki Campbells. After we didn’t do so well with chickens (I have a terrible fear of them but thought raising some as day olds would get me past that). Let me just say this, I grew up with chickens (and other farm animals), harvested many an egg when I was young and our Buffs and Doniniques were actually very awesome!! They actually wanted my boys to pet them like puppies. Unfortunately, I choose to also get some bantam BB Old English Game and one turned out to be a rooster that ruled the roost and ME!! So my husband needed up saying they all needed to go. On to the ducks…

Our last name is Camobell and and through my research I discovered the Campbell breed and benefits, searched for some for years. We live in a development but have over three acres and a 1/2 pond. My concerns are housing plans. Everything here in the states I have found is actually more for a chicken coop and I want to know is there somewhere I can find some plan ideas more suited for my ducks needs? Also, do I need to have a net or covered enclosure due to worrying about Hawks or owls or other huge birds of prey? I am super excited and hope that these ducklings are backyard pets for years.

I haven’t had an issue with hawks or owls going after my adult ducks, but ducklings would be at risk. It will also depend on your hawks and owls. I have barred owls and red shouldered hawks, which are fairly small and tend to go after smaller prey like mice, lizards, and baby chicks. Larger raptors like great horned owls and eagles can take larger prey and will often take adult birds, cats, and small dogs. The predators I’ve had the most issue with have been fox and raccoon. You may also want to check local ordinances because some areas require covered duck pens to avoid domestic ducks interacting with wild duck populations. Most domestic ducks can’t fly, but there’s a chance wild ducks could fly into your enclosure. Bird netting works well as an inexpensive covering.

As for the coop itself, they’re fairly similar to chicken coops except that duck housing needs to be lower to the ground and does not require a roosting bar. I haven’t written any posts about duck housing *yet,* but my friends at The Cape Coop just shared a good post on building duck housing in this week’s Homestead Blog Hop. http://www.thecapecoop.com/make-duck-house/

Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

I am in California, and I would absolutely love to have a pair of ducks, that would live inside our house, and outside in our yard;two areas for them. I have questions about your Duck Keeping for beginners guide, and questions I just have already. I’ll let you know that the area we live in is not purely rural,it’s more suburbs. We board a horse out in the close rural area, but have no intensions to move there. and in that area there is a feed store that does sell ducklings, I would need to go over and check what breed.
1) What breed would you recommend for a beginner, who will keep them as companions, rather than meat ducks?
2)Would a cage that is L: ~36 inches x W: 24inches x H: ~25 inches work as a brooder and house for them?( I would keep a tiny dish of water for the ducklings to play in, like you mentioned, and then let them have a larger pond as they grew. I could have a heat lampon top, and have towels or cardboard around it for privacy) This cage is actually for rabbit(they have a larger area now was too hard keeping them in two different spots), from a company named KW Rabbit Cages. https://www.kwcages.com I could not find the exact cage I have on there, but if you would like to have an idea of what it looks like, go to the website and look up their Metro Condo Cage, Two Story. the size is 36x 24 x 34. Reminder OUR cage’s height is 25in.The height is from the bottom of the cage to the top. the living space inside is raised 2 inches, so they would have 23inches of height space inside. is this alright for grown ducks? I thought I could take some pliers to remove the second story.I would like to keep that cage for them all their life, mainly just for their early brooding, and from then on, just to sleep or to stay in while we’re away. I also remind you that this would be kept in side, and they would only be let in the yard when we are home to watch them. If you recomend any other housing, please let me know. I’ll take a look at the website you shared in the above response (:
3) At what age would they be allowed to swim in deeper water, rather than water they would just be able to stand up in? As much info as possible about this please 🙂
4)Where can I buy niacin, and where to I put it?
5)How do I allow them to forage? What kind of materials and plants would I need?
6) would I need to have their feathers clipped so they don’t fly? info please (:
I’m sure I’ll come up with more questions, but for now let’s leave it at this. I need as much information as possible, so we can adapt their living spaces to our suburban home. We have a large backyard, if I were to let the ducks(s adults) roam, I would set up a large enough caged area for them. I’ll comment/email a photo of our kwcage we have so you can see it. If you don’t mind, i would like to see a picture of the housing and area you have for your ducks, just so I can get a good idea on what mine could look like. I should also say that we have many golf courses around our neighborhood, and there are many ponds around them, where mostly mallards and coots live. for about two months or so last year, there was a domestic duck that lived there. not sure how, not sure what happened to him, but he seemed to do quite fine. I’ve already looked into having ducks as pets in this area of town, and could not find anything. but if someone down the street can have a huge pig that squeals a few times a day, then I’m sure two ducks that only quack would be fine.
Thank you SOO much!!I am sorry this comment is super long, but I’m just a person who needs all the info she can get. we’ve had many animals over the years and they’ve all made it to old age. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask, the more info for both of us, the better!

Glad to help. I did get your pictures, thank you. A visual definitely helps. I think that cage could work as a brooder, but it will be much too small for most adult ducks. Ducks actually get quite tall and wouldn’t be able to stand up or walk through the door of the cage. And you’d be amazed how difficult it can be getting an adult duck in and out of a cage. They’re worse than taking a cat to the vet. LOL I think a better option would be a dog house in the back yard. If you’re worried about predators, you’ll want something with a door so you can close them up at night. If you have your heart set on ducks that live inside, look into call ducks. They are like bantam chickens, very small and well suited for living in cages. You would have to closely monitor them when they free range though because they are easy prey for predators.

As for the cage, I have found that ducks really don’t do well on wire cages. Ducklings tend to have trouble walking anyway and don’t balance as well as chicks. The carpet is an option, but they are much messier than chicks and you may find that keeping the carpet clean is much more difficult. I have seen some people put a small cookie sheet in the floor of their brooders which would give a flat surface that’s easy to clean. It will also help contain the water they will inevitably spill everywhere.

Size that they can be trusted in water depends on the breed and how quickly they grow. I have Pekins and Saxony, which are both large breeds and are close to full grown at 10-12 weeks old. They can usually hold their own around water at that age. They have more adult feathers than down and it helps keep them from getting waterlogged. Still, I have had the occasional teenager who couldn’t figure out how to get out of the pool and I’ll find them hours later cold and waterlogged. At that point I have to bring them in, towel dry them, and warm them up before I put them back outside. I usually stack bricks inside and outside of their kiddie pool to prevent that from happening.

Niacin is a B vitamin and is commonly found in brewer’s yeast. I buy a big back of brewer’s yeast from Amazon and sprinkle it over their food. They mostly need it when they’re growing. They’ll usually get it from plants as they get older and start free ranging. There aren’t really any plants in particular that ducks like. Herbs like oregano and mint are good for them and boost the immune system. Otherwise, mine just go after grass.

As for clipping wings, most breeds of domestic ducks don’t fly, although there are some like muscovies that can. Mostly the light to medium weight breeds. I know my Pekin and Saxony ducks can barely make it in and out of their pools. LOL But I do have a Saxony mix male who is about half of their size and he can hope over a short fence if he’s motivated enough (usually if breakfast is late). In general, you won’t have to worry about them flying away. Some concerns could be the wild ducks flying in for a visit and bringing in diseases. Another concern would be your ducks finding their way down to the pond. A lot of predators like raccoons like to hang around water, but domestic ducks make easy prey because they can’t fly away like their wild cousins.

I hope I answered all of your questions. I’ll try to get some pictures of our duck enclosures this weekend and email them to you. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

I am in Minnesota, I am about to get 2 Cayuga ducklings and 3 barred Plymouth chicks coming up in March & April. We have our coop and duck houses taken care of. We are a very active couple and have a lot of acreage for our future chickens and ducklings on our farm. I would like for the animals to be free range within reason but caged up at night to not allow for predators.

My questions are these:

Being active, is it possible to have chickens and ducks but have a life on the weekends? We have a cabin 15min away and 2 hours away.

What is the rule of thumb for summer vacations and being gone for determining if we need to find someone to feed and clean the houses?

Hi, thanks for stopping by. They won’t need too much space since you’re only getting a few, and free range time will give you more flexibility with the size of the pen you’ll need for them. For example, they would need a larger pen if they were going to live in it full time versus only being in it at night. The ducks will need a water source that they can dip their heads into, and eventually a pool of some sort. Their water sources can get quite dirty and usually need dumped and rinsed out every day.

Part of your question will be based upon your local predator load. Do you have predators in your area who would take advantage of you not being home? In my area, we have issues with coyotes and fox, even during the daytime. It drastically reduced our ability to free range. I’ve also had stray dogs come onto my property. They weren’t able to get to my birds, but they did kill one of my goats.

If you aren’t home, you will probably at least want someone to check on your birds and feed and water them once a day. My chickens and ducks are let out and fed every morning, then they will put themselves up at night so I just have to close the door. My ducks are pigs and would probably eat all of their food in one day if I tried to give them enough for two or more days. The good news is birds are fairly easy to care for, and you can usually find a neighbor who is willing to help in exchange for any eggs collected that day.

That’s a tough one. Easiest solution is to either rehome her or the drake. If the drake shows any other signs of aggression to others, I would consider rehoming him instead. Aggression can be an inherited trait. If he’s young, he may also settle down as he gets older. How do the other hens treat her? Is she different in some way? Birds have a way of singling out any that are different. They could also sense an internal issue with her. Growing up, I had a neighbor who had 4 Pekin drakes and 3 of them ganged up and killed the 4th one. It deterred me from wanting ducks for a while. Thankfully, I’ve been pretty lucky in that regard. Only issue we’ve had is a hen who drown, by what I suspect was some overly enthusiastic breeding by one or more of the boys.

I recently acquired 2 ducklings that have been neglected and lived in a filthy stock waterer. When they where out they where chased by a puppy and have fallen in a 3 ft window well several times, two that i know of. One duckling is doing okay but the other one wont walk or even try any more. I put him in a kiddy pool yesterday and he tried swimming, when i took him out he just layed there and didn’t move at all i had to pick him up and put him in his kennel for the night. I found your site by accident on pintrest. I hope it has answered my questions. I hope the brewers yeast will help him and im going to try comfrey tea if his little legs are bruised or injured in any way. I know they are not broke because i’ve seen him running before after his falls down the window wells. Thank you for your site. I hope he or she gets better. By the way how do you tell if they are female or male. I dont even know the breed. One is yellow and one is a dark brown, but they still have their baby down, but they are getting their feathers. Than you again for your site.

How is the duckling doing now? I’m sorry to hear they had such a rough start. I hope he feels better soon.

As for telling them apart, earliest I’ve been able to tell is around 8 weeks old, although it can vary by breed. The females will have a loud quack while the drakes will get almost like a raspy voice. Then as they get a little older, the males (for most breeds) will get what is called a “Drake Curl.” A couple of their top tail feathers will curl up. They may lose the curls when they molt, so their voice is always the easiest way to tell.

Hi Bonnie! What do you do with your ducks on rainy days or on mornings just after it’s rained, since they like to create puddles? Do you provide water at night? If so, is there a specific waterer that you recommend and/or type of flooring that keeps the house floor from molding?

We plan to get two ducklings late this spring – a Welsh and either an Appleyard or a Pekin. We live in the suburbs on 0.2 acres fenced with neighbors behind us and to our right and left. We’ve been thinking that we’ll allow the ducks to forage in our entire yard on dry days (with our Pyr keeping watch) and on rainy days will keep them in their run. They’ll go in their house at night to protect from predators. Should we try to make the run large enough to also keep grass in there or just give up on that idea from the get-go and just give them adequate space? I keep hearing a range of experiences from “my yard has never looked better” to “it’s going to be a mud pit no matter what you do!”

I don’t provide water inside of their coop. If there is water, they create a mess, and they need to have a dry place to stay warm and prevent disease. Ducks aren’t generally hard on lawns as long as they have plenty of space. Depending on the size of your yard, I don’t think two ducks will be that much of an issue. Just have a pool outside of their house that they can swim and dunk their heads in. My ducks’ favorite time to free range is when it’s raining. I do have a difficult time keeping grass in their run though because they do like to eat the grass. It will probably depend upon how much time they are locked in it vs being free in the yard. We get rain almost daily in the summer here in Florida, so it’s difficult for me to keep mine out of the rain. LOL

I have four ducks and recently they have wondered and are now crossing the road in our area. We do have a pond for them but they seem to be more content to wonder off and our neighbors have seen them at their house and also crossing over the road to the other neighbors. This is a major road and I am so afraid that they will get killed. How can I keep them from wondering without penning them up? They have always been free to wonder around our property before. We now have them penned up in our barn and feel bad for them so they were free to roam before.

That’s tough. Unfortunately, I can’t think of any good way without some kind of fence. We also have large livestock, so the parimeter of our property is fenced, in addition to cross fences for paddocks. What kind of ducks are they? How much space do they have? Mine have a smaller pen that they’re penned in at least overnight. They don’t tend to wander far when I let them out. In fact, I wish I could get them to go over to my garden so they could take care of the slugs and mosquitoes. You could try penning them in the barn overnight, then start letting them back out to range during the day. Feed them in the barn at night. Unfortunately, it’s going to be difficult to break since they’ve already started wandering.

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